Automatic book cutting machine



Dec. 4, 1934. p PACHTER 1,982,880

AUTOMATIC BOOK CUTTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 4, 1934. p T PACHTER 1,982,880

AUTOMATIC BOOK CUTTING MACHINE Patented Dec. 4, 1934 AUTOMATIC B 0 K., CUTTING MACHINE Peter T. Pachter, Chicago, 111. Application February 15, 1932,. Serial No. 592,932

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to automatic means for cuttingand trimming the three. open sides, ofbooks, magazines, pamphlets and booklets, which said open sides are usually required to be trimmed to complete such books etc. for

the market.

In the past the .older and more general practice has been to assemble a suitable stack of such books, and cut them in the usual paper .101 cutter'found in printing shops. I This is a slow and. expensive method, as it requires, a separate operation for each one of the three sides to be trimmed.

The object of the present invention is to pro- 15. vide an automatic machine for doing this work which cuts the side and two ends by merely passing the book through said machine once carried by. a suitable conveyor system. Another. object is to provide an automatic means for stopping said book underneath the reciprocating shear to cut the open side.

Another object is toprovide a suitable means for clamping said book to prevent movement thereof while it; is being cut by said shear, and

to prevent the leaves from creeping.

for suitablyaligning said book between the rotating cutters provided for, trimmingthe ends.

Another object is to provide means; for holding said book firmly against movement or creeping of, the-pageswhile it is being cut by said. rotating cutters.

With the above and other objects in view, which;w ill more particularly appear from the accompanying specification and. drawings (in which like numerals of reference refer to the same part throughout the various views) I have shown. inthe accompanying drawings one. embodiment of said machine, in, which said drawings, r Figure 1 chine. I

Figure .2 is a side elevation taken from the right in Figure 1 with portions of they frame broken. away.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention. The operating parts are mounted upon two side frames 1, 1 suitably spaced, and securely connected together is a top plan view of my said mamember 5 rigidly mounted in the frame, and an.

upper movable member 6 mounted in bearings 7, 7 at the upper ends of the two connecting d5; rods 8, 8 positioned at either side of, said frame.

by the cross bars 2, 3 and 4 to hold them in rigid The lower ends 9, 9 of said connecting rods are. pivotally: connected to the cranks. 80,. and. said cranks are in turn rigidly attached to the shaft 10- rotatably mounted in bearings in. the. frame, Power isprovided througha main drive ca shaft, 12 mounted, in hearings in, the frame and. connecting with some suitable source ofpower (not shown). A bevel gear 13.is rigidly attachedto said shaft 12 which meshes with, a bevel: gear, lionthe shaft, 10 by means of which. the shaft. 65g 1.0, is: rotated, and operates the cranks 80, 80, connecting rods 8, 8, and upper member of the shear, 6. The upper. member of the shear 6 is so disposed as to; pass the lower member 5 whenever it is raised and lowered in operation. 7o,

as above described, and thereby cuts thebooklet which is positioned therebetween, as hereinafter explained. The ends of the; rods, 8,8 are, pref:- erably threaded. at their ends: and screwed. into the end; members 9, 15 to provide means for'ado- 7g, justment of; the upper member of the shear'as; required from time to time. Specially hardened knife edges 17 and 18 are removably attached to. the members 5 and 6 of the shear to facilitate exchanging and sharpening, from time to time. so,

A spring actuated clamping bar 19 ismovablyattached tothe upper shear member by means of. bolts 20, 20 loosely passing throughsaid meme.- her and threadedinto said bar 9 andicoil springs- 21,21. are disposed aroundsaid bolts betweemsaidl 85,- upper member and said clamping bar as shown; to; provide spring pressure upon said clamping ban The clamping bar. 19 isnormally positioned: be.- low the lower edge of the upper shear member" 6 when the member is raised to its topmostposiz- 9a, tion and as it descends, the clamping bar strikes. the lower member 5.before the shearingedge, and: thusis pressed downward against any work, (as. a booklet placed between said shears for cutting); holding said booklet firmlyagainst any movement 95, under the action of the shears, andalso-preventing. the, leavesfrom creeping, as sometmes occurs. when: such work is not firmly held by; a clamping;

bar.

Stops 22, 22 are provided in the; path of thebooklet 60: to stop it atthe desired position for cutting the open side of such booklet. These stops 22, 22 are adjustably mountedin the bell crank levers. 23, 23 and held in position by set screws 24, 24. The bell crank levers 23, 23 are 10.5. rotatably mounted upon the shaft 25 anda, connectingrod 26 is pivotally attached: to the horizontal member of said crank 27 and to the cam 28 mounted uponthe shaft 29; which said shaft, is in. turn suitably mounted in bearings in. the 11.0

cross bars 3 and 4. At the left hand end of shaft 29, shown in Figure 2, I have shown a bevel gear 30 in mesh with the bevel gear 14 by means of which said shaft and parts connected therewith 5 are operated whenever power is applied from bevel gear 14 thereto. By this construction, as the shaft 29 is rotated as above described, the stops 22, 22 are raised into the line of movement of the booklet 60, and after the booklet has been out, said stops are lowered by the cam action out of engagement with said booklet, permitting said booklet to move forward, as hereinafter more fully explained.

center the booklet for cutting the ends by the circular cutters hereinafter described. This headerup is attached to the adjustable rod 32 by means of the set screw 33. The rod 32 is in turn mountedin the bell crank lever 34 which is mounted upon the sliding rod 35 by means of the set screw 36. The rod 35 is loosely mounted in hearings in the frame adapted for movement lengthwise of said rod. At 38 I have provided a suitable bracket attached to the frame, and to this bracket is piv- 53 otally mounted the lever 39. The lower end of this lever 39 is operably attached to the cam 40 mounted on the shaft 29 and the upper end of said lever 39 is pivotally attached to the horizontal limb of the bell crank 34. By this construc- 6? tion, whenever the shaft 29 is rotated the cam 40 causes the lever 39 to oscillate and move the header-up block 31 from side to side horizontally on the sliding rod 32, and pushes the booklet to the right in Figure 1 until it is properly aligned 5s for cutting by the circular cutters.

To cut the ends of the booklet, I have provided the circular cutters 42, 42 and 43, 43 arranged in co-operating pairs, as shown. The lower cutters 42, 42 are mounted upon the shaft 43, which in turn is rotatably mounted in bearings in the frame. The upper cutters 43, 43 are preferably mounted upon the shaft 44, and this, in turn, is

, rotatably mounted in bearings in the blocks 45, 45. A slideway 46, 46 is provided in theside 33 frames for the blocks 45, to move backward and forward. A cross bar 48 joins the two slideways, and between the crossbarand blocks is provided coiled spring as 47, 47. At 49, 50 I have provided a block and screw for adjustment of 63 the movement of the blocks 45 and the shaft and circular cutters mounted thereon. The circular cutters are operated through bevel gear 51 mounted on shaft 29, which meshes with bevel gear 81 on shaft 52, spur gear 54 on said shaft 5 in mesh with spur gear 55 on shaft 43 also in mesh with spur gear 56 mounted upon shaft 44.

By this means a positive drive is provided for said circular cutter and they are operated at uniform speed. I

In operation a bound booklet 60 is placed upon the conveyor'belts 61, 61, mounted upon suitable pulleys as 62, 62 and 63. This conveyor carries the booklet forward underneath the shear 6 and on to the second set of conveyor belts 64, 64,

I rotating on the pulleys 65, 65, 66, 66 and 67, 67

and carries the booklet onward until the bound edge engages the stops 22, 22 where it is stopped, with the open edge of the booklet under the shear in proper position for cutting by said shear. As the shear is moved downward, as described above, the open edge of the booklet is cut in the usual manner of paper cutters. As the shear raises, the header-up 31 is operated as above described, and

pushes the booklet to the right until it is in proper alignment'for cutting the ends by the circular cutters. As the booklet is aligned by the headerup, the stops 22, 22 are lowered through the cam action described above and the booklet is carried forward toward the circular cutter, on the conveyor belts 64, 64, is cut on both ends by said cutter and is carried out of said machine over the pulleys 6'7, 67.

To assist in carrying said booklet through the machine, I have provided the additional belts 68, 68, positioned directly above the belts 64, 64 to engage the upper surface of the booklet 60, and assist in moving said booklet forward as described.

. I havealso provided a roller 74 for engaging said A header-up block 31 is provided to .properly.

booklet approximately at the shear to assist in moving said booklet forward. Said roller is rotatably mounted in one end of the lever 72, pivoted at 73. The right hand end of said lever shown'Figure 2, is pivotally connected to the rod 75, which in turn is attached to the cam '76, mounted upon and operated by the shaft 29. By this construction, after the booklet has been cut by the shear, the roller moves downward under action of thecam and lever, and presses upon said booklet and the pulley 65, and assists in moving said booklet forward.

I have also provided cushioning rollers 77, 77, 78, '78 mounted respectively upon shafts 43' and 44 and adapted to engage the booklet 60 between them while it is being cut by the circular cutters, and hold said booklet firmly against movement or creeping of its leaves under action of said cutters.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In a booklet trimming machine, the combination with a suitable conveyor system to carry the booklets through said machine, of suitable movable stops for stopping said booklets under the shear, automatic means for lowering said stops to permit the forward movement of the booklets, a spring actuated clamp for holding said booklets firmly beneath the shear, a reciprocating shear for cutting the-front edge of said booklet, header-up means for shifting said booklets into the path of circular cutters, said means being adjustable and slidably mounted and rotating circular cutters for trimming the ends of said booklets.

2. In an automatic booklet trimming machine, the combination with an automatically operated reciprocating shear, of an automatic conveyor system for conveying the booklets through said machine, a spring actuated clamp for clamping the booklets while being cut by said shear, automatically operated stops attached to a bell crank and adjustably carried thereby for stoppingand releasing the booklets in operable position be neath the shear, an automatically operated header-up for alignment of booklets in the path of end cutters, and rotating circular cutters adapted to trim the ends of said booklets as the booklets are conveyed between said cutters on the conveyor. I

3. In an automatic cutting machine for trimming the side and ends of booklets, the combination with an automatically operated reciprocating shear having upper and lower members, of rotating circular cutters, automatic conveyor means for conveying booklets past said shear and circular cutters, automatically operated stops for stopping said booklets beneath the shear and for automatically releasing the same after being cut, a spring'actuated clamp for clamping the booklets while being cut by said 150 shear, said clamp secured to the upper member of the reciprocating shear and normally positioned below the lower edge of said member, an automatically operated header-up for jogging the booklet into alignment for cutting by the circular cutters, and rotatable cushioned clamping rollers for holding said booklets against movement while being cut by said circular cutters.

4. In an automatic booklet trimming machine, the combination with an automatically operated reciprocating shear, of an automatic conveyor system for conveying the booklets thru said machine, a spring actuated clamp forclamping the booklets while being cut by said shear, said clamp carried by the reciprocating shear and normally extending below the lower edge of said shear, automatically cam-operated means for raising and lowering stops for stopping and releasing the booklets in operable position beneath the shear, automatically cam operated header-up means for alignment of booklets in the path of the end cutters, rotating circular cutters adapted to trim the ends of said booklets as the booklets are conveyed between said cutters in theconveyor, and means engageable with the upper surface of the booklets for assisting in the forward movement of said booklets.

5. In a machine for trimming booklets, the combination with a reciprocating shear, of stops for stopping the booklets beneath said shear. means for lowering said stops immediately after the booklets have been cut to permit the forward movement thereof, said means operable in timed relationship with said shear, rotating cutters for trimming the ends of said booklets, and conveyor means for carrying the booklets past said shear and cutters.

6. The structure of claim 5, and belts engageable with the upper surface of said booklets for assisting in the forward movement thereof.

7. The structure of claim 4 characterized by an automatically cam-operated pressure roller arranged adjacent said reciprocating shear for engaging said booklets to assist in the forward movement thereof.

PETER T. PACHTER. 

